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Crave Robotics Raises $2M to Bring More Hot Meals to Hotels and Colleges
Crave Robotics, a U.S.-based company, is changing the way people access hot meals with its CraveBot™, a vending machine that serves ready-to-eat meals in under three minutes. The company is focused on serving the U.S. hospitality industry, particularly branded hotel chains and colleges and universities.
The CraveBot™ is designed to provide quick, convenient meals to guests at hotels and students at colleges. The meals, which cover all day parts including breakfast, snacks, and dinner entrees, are stored frozen in the machine and replenished through a cold-chain logistics system.
Crave Robotics was founded by Paul Chen, who previously built Botrista Technology. With experience in food automation, Paul Chen is now working with his team to provide solutions that make hot food more accessible, especially in locations where traditional food service options may not be available around the clock.
Strengthening Partnerships Across U.S. Hotels and Campuses
"We are mainly focused on the U.S. for now, as it is a large enough market. However, we may consider expansion in the future through partnerships rather than operating directly in other countries," Paul Chen explained.
Currently, Crave Robotics is working with major hotel chains such as Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, and IHG, with installations in hotels like Embassy Suites and Sheraton Four Points. The company is also expanding its reach in U.S. colleges, with ongoing partnerships with several California universities, including the University of California campuses and USC. “We are working with many colleges across the U.S., where students often need food options late at night or when cafeterias are closed,” Paul Chen said.
Crave Robotics Secures Investment from Leading Global Partners
The company recently raised over $2.3 million to help fund its growth, with plans for further expansion depending on the success of its current partnerships. “We’re focused on proving the success of our model at universities and hotels, and once we have enough data, we’ll move forward with our next funding round,” Paul Chen stated.
Crave Robotics has attracted investment from SparkLabs (Taiwan), 500 Global, Onus Global Fulfillment Solutions (USA), and Sanpu Travel (Japan). Investors like SparkLabs see CraveBot™ as a potential game-changer. “We invested in Crave Robotics because their innovative CraveBot™ is redefining hot food delivery, perfectly aligning with SparkLabs Taiwan’s mission to support breakthrough solutions that shape the future of hospitality and education.” said Edgar Chiu, Co-founder and Managing Partner of SparkLabs Taiwan.
In terms of food offerings, Crave Robotics is focused on ensuring that its meals cater to local tastes. "We test products to see what works and replace those that don't sell. Classic dishes like pizza, hamburgers, spaghetti, and mac and cheese always sell well because they're familiar. For Asian meals, we offer favorites like Pad Thai and orange chicken." Paul Chen explained. The best sellers so far are the in-house developed chicken teriyaki and Gyudon Rice Bowl.
As for food partnerships, Crave works with both small and large food providers but is also focused on developing its own recipes to offer a unique product. “We create some of our own recipes to stand out, but we also work with off-the-shelf products to expand our offerings,” Paul Chen said.
Crave Robotics Expands Cold-Chain Logistics Network Across the U.S.
Logistics is another important aspect of Crave’s business model, especially with the cold-chain requirements for frozen meals. Paul Chen noted that the company started with an in-house team in Los Angeles, but plans to expand its logistics network through partnerships with cold-chain providers across the U.S. "Once we have the right procedures in place, we will look to scale by working with distributors in other parts of the country," he said.
Crave Robotics aims to tap into the growing online food delivery market, estimated to reach $353.3 billion, by offering a convenient and fast food solution. By targeting both the hospitality and education sectors, the company is working to offer food options that generate additional revenue for hotels and universities, while providing customers with high-quality meals in a fraction of the time it takes to dine out or wait for delivery.
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